UD announces plans for new rooftop garden on Kennedy Union

The University of Dayton is putting together a rooftop garden on its student union.

The University of Dayton is putting together a rooftop garden on its student union.

The University of Dayton has unveiled plans for a new rooftop garden on top of the Kennedy Union on campus.

The garden project started in August and was made possible in part by a $12.5 million gift made in 2014 by the George and Amanda Hanley Foundation, according to the university.

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The new garden project is being led by UD’s Hanley Sustainability Institute to provide a campus hub for sustainability education, improved campus aesthetics and a cooler rooftop that could lower the union’s energy costs, according to UD.

The garden will cover one-third of the roof or 1,860 square feet, and will also be used for research on plants and climate conditions.

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Around 40 students will be involved in the project and will study how the temperature affects the building’s energy costs, according to UD.

“Our charge with the gift from George and Amanda Hanley is to become a national leader in sustainability education,” said Katie Schoenenberger, institute director of student engagement. “Our focus is providing experiential learning opportunities for students and engaging the broader campus and Dayton communities in conversations about sustainability. This will provide a visible sustainability project on campus where we can have those conversations.”

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